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Monday, February 16, 2015

PLOM (Poor Lil' Ol' Me)

A virus invaded my upper respiratory system more than a week ago. It knocked me on my you know what and I'm beginning to come out the other side, but man oh man it has been a challenge.

I've been having my own private PLOM party. Some thoughts about the past few days (besides the fact that being sick sucks):* I don't ordinarily watch TV for hours on end, but being a couch potato has been a natural necessity. There has been one particularly bright light: I happened upon the 2006 documentary "A Man Named Pearl" on some channel way up in the triple digits on the lineup.

It's a look at a guy who worked very hard all his life, then picked up landscaping as a hobby and became a self-taught master topiary artist, overcoming racism and naysayers all along the way. Why didn't I know about this film before?* Merrilee Fellowsand I have been friends for more than 10 years. She works for NASA and we first got to know each other when we, on behalf of our respective agencies (mine being the City of Pasadena), were very busy communicating a big groundwater cleanup issue to the public. Now she spends a lot of time at NASA research centers and launch sites.

I made a commitment on Feb. 1 to do a good deed every day this month -- 28 good deeds in a row. Merrilee kindly stepped in to be my proxy so the chain isn't broken while I'm down for the count. She has cleaned up some trash and glass on a trail at Oak Grove Park, volunteered her time to do organized good works and done thoughtful things for some people. I heart Merrilee.* My sick body really has responded to soup and fluids and over-the-counter meds. Green tea with honey is my new best friend. Sugar-free cough drops don't make my mouth all sticky and icky. Kleenex infused with lotion is some kind of miracle.

Mucinex Fast-Max, granulated something-or-other that is mixed with hot water, tastes really vile but is a weapon of mass destruction.* Of course this is happening when the weather has been spectacular. While a large part of the nation has been SUV-deep in snow, it has been in the high 80s here.

But I'm not able to enjoy it because my body says, "Fuhget about it...you're not going anywhere." (Photo shot with Merrilee's quadcopter!) * Before you ask, I have everything I need, thank you.Everybody has been so kind.I live in a great neighborhood where we all look out for each other and now it's my turn to be checked in on, and so many friends have reached out via text message, Facebook and phone.

Hearing my daughters' voices through the phone from far away always provides comfort at times like these, bless them. Becky and Jessica are more dear to my heart than words can possibly express. And they love their mommy. That makes me feel better.* I'm strong and confident when I'm well. But I'm a great big baby when I'm sick.

I think my friend has had the same thing. Laid low in bed for a week, watching movies on her iPhone. Anyone know what virus this is? It doesn't sound like influenza. Here's a secret the doctors don't want us to know about. Antibiotics really do help viral infections to clear up. It's because bacteria also take advantage of a weakened immune system. The mucus could be from them. Try to get a short course from your doctor,